#geek girls poetry project

[geekgirlspoetryproject]

I really can't overstate the delight it was to get this amazing reading from the absolute legend Alan Tudyk, who suggested I name this poem "Smartypants" ... I didn't do that, but I am still knocked out by how amazing he is here, flawless and 100% fully in character as Harry Vanderspiegel from Resident Alien.

[sp0o0kylights]

I once had to pose in a ton of photos for a friend's AP photography final back in high school so may I present to you:

Steve Harrington, who gave in to Robin's begging that he act as her weird art model for her senior year portfolio (the same one her teacher is encouraging her to bat out of the ballpark and enter into contests.) 

She's doing a whole thing on fashion, subcultures and sexuality using photos and collaged poetry, a project that has Steve trying on different outfits and posing in different places. 

"This might help me land a scholarship, Dingus." She hisses while she's got him bent over her bathtub, spraying parts of his hair blue with wash-out dye.

Steve, soulmate and best friend extraordinaire, goes through it all with minimal (for him) bitching, even if the goth outfit feels absolutely ridiculous, and the 'geek' photoshoot downright laughable.

He starts to have fun when she has him mimic Nancy's straight laced, all A's good girl aura, and equally has a blast with the country look (he has no idea where Robin got a miniature horse but it conned him for every piece of food he had on him and then some.) 

The final piece is the one they're struggling with, the one Robin's now (fake) dying his hair partially blue for. 

A few hours later and he's dressed up once again in a studded leather jacket, the tightest jeans he owns ringed with belts, and combat boots.

 Robin had even talked him into letting her use eyelash glue to attach a few metal studs on his face--two acting as an eyebrow piercing and one on his nose. 

The looks he drew took a minute to get used too when all was said and done, Robin dragging him around Hawkins while she tried to find the 'perfect backdrop' but he's not gonna lie. 

He kinda enjoys being punk Steve.

That is, until Robin has him posing in an alleyway and Eddie Munson comes around the corner, jaw right about falling to the floor.

Even better? 

Eddie doesn't recognize him. 

Not at first, when he siddles up to Steve, nodding to the handkerchief in Steve's back pocket and then flicking the pink triangle pin on his jacket with a finger. 

Steve owes Jonathan a bottle of his father's best alcohol for giving him enough knowledge to get through the music razing Eddie subjects him too, and Steve's all too happy to play the part of punk asshole to Munson's music-snob metalhead.

It's not until Eddies playing with his hair and Robin gives in to letting him have a quick break from the shoot that he gives up the ghost, leaning in to whisper in Eddie's ear. 

"Gotta say, Munson," Steve all but purrs."I wasn't expecting you to fall for the Harrington Charm that fast."

"What?" Eddie asks, jerking his head back to look at him with wide eyes. 

Maybe it's the outfit giving him the extra ounce of courage, but Steve likes to think more that it gives him the freedom to lean forward and brush their lips together. 

Eddie doesn't return it, but that's alright. 

Steve's played this game enough to know that it was merely a hook for a real kiss. 

"Okay." Robin says, annoyed, camera at her side. "Steve, I'm happy that you're finally exploring that repressed as fuck homosexuality we keep arguing about, I really am, but I have to get this last photo!" 

He ignores her, instead nudging Eddie's shoulders.

"Care to pose with me?" Steve asks, grinning. He can tell Eddie still isn't sure if this is a joke, that he's seconds from running, and reaches out to tug on his black handkerchief. "Get Robin her photo, and then talk about this after, Mr. S&M."

Eddie flushes scarlet, but after some reassurance (and wheelding) from Robin, finally agrees. 

(Later, he agrees to a date, which Steve also credits the outfit for.

Even if Robin demands half the credit.) 

[teatimewithtana]

☾₊‧ Writerblr Introduction + WIP Links ・*・゜ °。*・

Hey #Writeblr community!✍🏻

I've never actually introduced myself on here. I've had this account for a very long time, but have never really been on here much. I want to change that, as I love how this is the "hide-away corner" of the internet of the social medias. Sorry my username is not exactly a writerly online-handle, but nevertheless—I write!

But anyway, hiya!👋🏻 My Generals:

> My name is Tana! > My Website : home to my blog, The Blue Label, and links to all my finished books. You'll find all things about me here, as well as a hidden surprise you'll have to click around to find! 😉 > My Instagram : full of tea-time aesthetic! Tea parties, finger-food-delights, and books?! And you're invited! > My Pinterest : helpful and aesthetic boards for writers and booklovers alike! Here, you'll find tips, tricks, art, memes, and heavenly inspired, hand-picked-with-you-in-mind aesthetic image pieces 💛 also aesthetic boards for my geeky fandoms and my WIPs. > My TikTok : full of my writerly dilemmas in the silliest, over-the-top, and most irrational of manners in under ten minutes, as well as exclusive content to my research adventures for my WIPs 🤪 Laugh at that quirky, writer drama with me! > My Vintage Shop : a place where elegance and the divine are stuck in time 🫦 one of my many hobbies—and most favorite!—is antique/thrift shopping for those one-of-kind French, vintage pieces to add to a space begging to be adorned with shiny, classy, sassy beauty. Who doesn't want to feel stuck out of time? Even if just for a little bit. > Always up for Ask and Tag Games! 💞

What I’m Writing: (cont. under the read more) 💜

Main WIPs:

> The Afterlife Chronicles (T.A.C.) : is a YA Fantasy series currently in the first draft and research stages about two paranormal-investigating besties with spiritual gifts that stumble upon the same ghost trail as a famous reality-tv paranormal crew. They join forces to take down the unexplainable and impossible supernatural activities going bump in the sleepless nights of an otherwise quiet cattle ranch. As the investigation unfolds, so do the secrets. About the spirits that haunt it, and about some of the investigators themselves.👻 Overall, the series will involve ghosts (spirits), angels and demons. > the girl who walks alone : a new collection of poems following the rise and fall of my twenties / trail-blazing behind my first published poetry book, WALLFLOWERS BURN WILD, a reflection of my past with my ex of five years. It is nothing more than pure rage and slam poetry, sprinkled with optimism and slivers of hope. A lot of my poetry reflects mental health, self-esteem, and personality issues. Plus many more. * My stories all focus on the themes of healthy and unhealthy family relationships, found family/friendship, overly complex socio/political/religious/magical conflicts, betrayal, revenge, second chances, and forgiveness, w/ romance and hopepunk happy endings even if it’s a dark situation.

Smaller projects on the back burner that you might hear me talk about from time to time:

> Tea Time with Tana : a podcast I've been dreaming about for half a decade, but haven't had the means or opportunity. . . until now! I will be starting it soon, as it is tailored to four main topics (but obviously not limited to them): Writing, books, tea, and vintage. Geek-talk will also be a big contributor, as I, myself, am a giant nerd for Scooby-Doo, Powerpuff Girls, anything written by Meg Cabot, and literally so much more! 😂 Once I start it, I'll provide the link in this post! > The Wiccan : a stand-alone novel I've written bits and pieces of that was originally going to be a true witch story. But now will be part of my T.A.C. universe. This will be the origin story of my Chronicles MC's ancestry line, in which so-many-great grandmothers ago, MC of The Wiccan struggles with her spiritual gift in the midst of the 1630s in Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts, where being even the slightest bit individualistic is lethal. A lot of re-researching and rewrites to be involved, but I'm very excited about this piece as well! 🙈 > Love Games, No One Like Alex, and other possible stories : you may hear me mention these other titles as they are back-burner WIPs that I haven't actually written yet but have toyed with the ideas for years and really want to make happen. Attention is minimal, but I can't help plotting, because that's just my mind. 😅

Other Stuff About Me: 

> Full Sail University BFA undergrad in Creative Writing 👩🏼‍🎓 > As I stated before, I'm a giant Geek! 🤓 But not just in fandoms to do with the fictional world, but also I'm really into art, history, and architecture! Interior and exterior design, just all things beauty. Visually and intellectually. 🥴 > I'm a spiritual Christian! Though I'm new on my walk with Christ, I'm excited for where he will take me throughout the course of my journey in this life and what it is I am to learn before I come home. My current WIP, The Afterlife Chronicles, has helped me find Jesus, which has made writing this series all the more special. 💗 Please feel welcome here, as I love everyone and am open to any and all compassionate conversations! > I'm a Swiftie, loud and proud! 💘 > Mega-lover of grilled-cheese, carbs, cats, and soups! * No politics or current events allowed 🚫 there's enough noise outside Tumblr, let's keep this space safe.

Thank you so much for stopping here! I love you all 🤍

[bluuuchi]

Blu. God, Who Made U? from Wars of Grief.

天哪，你是由什麼組成的？all i knew was gifted like other girls who are beautiful enough to walk on the runway, make mouth-watering performances just by swaying their hips, or project stars in everyone's sight with their heavenly sweet voices. i am not that chick, just an outcast, classy geek. healing people is what I used to do; it's true that it came from my poetry. my scars had regenerated. that was the point where I was paralyzed and my will to write weakened.

i absorbed all their grief and pain / my hopes; my big dreams / other things faded like dead sea scrolls ashes. stitched up my skin while those sacred wounds stung, and i hissed in pain. the saint they thought i was was now exhausted from everything that was bound to destroy her. faith retrieved my soul—those carved scars left the letters i've lost. those dreamy girls never ended me with envy and wrath; the end of me was when i ran out of ink and blood. nothing can stop my lunacy with all my words.

I Looked On The Mirror And Saw The Secrecy In The Corner Of My Eye. / I Am My Own Disastrous God.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

[mylawcitrus]

Cute animals, architecture, drawing and sitcoms

It seems like the makers of Tumblr want it to be what it was meant to be: a social network for teenagers.

Most of the people I know on here are in their 20s. Some are older.

But they've made some decisions in the past and it's just a matter of time before I delete this account.

The path is this: I was here since 2014, then I revealed in my poetry that I had been carrying some trauma. The content stayed up, and I don't remember when I decided to put it down. It used to be an attempt to be in sync with the girl I was into, who lived in the US and hadd contact with all this "stuff". Then the stuff got complicated... we weren't like, messaging back and forth, but we were very connected when we spoke. It's just a shame.

There was Twitter. It helped me go through family crises, but few people actually know it didn't help with shit. It just exposed a version of a guy who could barely communicate and in case in occasional onlooker saw a tweet, they'd be like "what's this, we're writing in caps today?"

Many years later, some projects, some events, people met, places I went to, Twitter was more or less of a battleground for politics to be destilled into hatred nobody knew whether or not was just projected or not, fantasized, augmented, or whatever. And there were a lot of people laughing about the whole thing.

But I'm not gonna say who was laughing. I don't know. I was strying to wrap my head around new facts in my life. For years.

And so bassically I was suspended this one time when Jack Dorsey said something I found distressing at the moment, for my moment, and I told the man to fuck off. Boom, suspended. It was in the midst of the Musk transition.

But honestly, I don't even wanna talk about Musk.

I didn't find a place. I had a bad habit, of going on a website called Faceflow. I met some interesting people there, and I kept visiting because it was pretty random how some people who seemed to be very "outside the box" popped up on there, but I'll have to admit I had a hormonal issue and things didn't go well. For anybody.

But a lot later, I found Mastodon. And people were discussing top level internet stuff, and also politics, while posting genuinely interesting videos and informational content. I was like "how many years have you been sober?" -- and I just wasn't.

The way I quit Mastodon was ridiculous.

Someone said: "so Instagram is like Tumblr now?" and that triggered the fuck out of me. I never understood Tumblr, and I had just been a victim of identity theft because of a complicated, but kind of suspicious interaction with someone I met on Faceflow and this dude, who was telling people to invest in crypto, that it really worked, and that he'd deposit money for you if yu just did these simple tasks. And I needed the money. So in the blink of an eye I lost my account, and Facebook was like, shitty as fuck with me, because they pretty much were still the definitiveinternet platform, before TikTok (and I know that shit is complicated, but I'm just like, thinking).

And I had to rebuild as a person, as a musician, as a teacher... like, a dude who was on Faceflow was a religious extremist who I started to be very displeased with, to put it lightly, and I associated the entire discourse that person presented with my social presence, and I came to a point of trying to reset everything and deleted my fucking LinkedIn. AND my Twitter, the 10 year old account. I had verified people in music following me, people from tech journalism, some geeks, I had an interesting presence! And it was like, haters? I won big sometimes, sometimes I kinda lost track of the strategy, but the thing was going on, I knew I was in the public eye and I tried to act normal -- instead of going "corporate" or "offering a product". And to your surprise, maybe, that's what people criticized, that I was a flooder, a shitposter, that I didn't take things seriously.

Dude... I had my life.

From Mastodon I came here. I realigned myself with poetry, but at some point, especially after the OF promotions and the Tumblr Live 420 stuff (which I'm gonna hint the boss might have a problem with, as far as I can tell), Tumblr became a place where nothing was very clear, and in the end, some very low profile people who never shared their thoughts or anythng were doing their thing and i thought I was just being annoying, like the place wasn't for me, the conversation was different!

So then I tried to bring it closer to me. Talk about personal stuff, so people got to know me, not the random stories people tell on the web. And it totally backfired?

But like, if it's because of porn, of course the problem is not porn per se, it's age gap. I'm not addressing this issue, each case is a case. My thoughts are already too scattered, the narratives are too, and discussions are likely to come up. And I'm not gonna be surprised if everyone thinks I'm the asshole, always have been, end of the story. But the level, the extent to which they went because of my social media presence, is totally out of line.

And now what I have is posts that nobody reads, conversations nobody replies to, and expectations that next time I go buy something (with the little money we managed to get from assistence!) downstairs, people are like "oh, here's the dude who doesn't have money to buyy new shorts but thinks it's ok to go out like that". THAT'S ME! I'm the least highlighted person you can ever think of... nobody has a freaking fucking clue of my online struggless of decades... they care about soccer, shit like that! They care, that is true, about their jobs and their families. And good for them, God bless! But I wanna be able to make that shift one day in my life, if not thinking about kids, thinking about my family and how I can help out, which seems like, honestly, something everyone in the family thinks I'll never be able to do cause I'm both a piece of shit and incompetent. But during Christmas season, you gotta hear shit like "you're stubborn and intolerant". And shut the fuck up.

So, Tumblr, sorry... I've tried to have a conversation about what I thought younger people were thinking about, but I'm obviously not welcome and if you wanna enjoy your space out here, have fun, you know? The memes are great, the aesthetics, the funny dialogues, the artists! The references, which are always building... but like, maybe I should go back to my real proposal which is to think of policy and to STUDY the decisions and materials that have been drafted for the future of the internet, and maybe at one point I'll be like "hm, I can answer that" and go for it, take a chance, and who knows, maybe get a freaking follow. One. By. One.

It didn't happen, on here. I'm still relying on the poetry people (3) and someone I talked more or less extensively about music (1) who's got a totally chill vibe and who doesn't want stress right now. But like, with all that I post, 4 people? Come on, what's going on?

So these are things people don't talk about. Go see if a parent getss on Faceflow. Go see if they even ask how many Snapchat contacts they have. Go see if they ever thought about going on Omegle with the kid -- rare! Go see if they think about what curriculum they want for their kids -- and then it starts to get a little tricky -- and what jobs!

We grow up... the internet is a thing that's up for consultation, for sure, but I could delete this and it would all become a "he said, they said" situation all over again. And I have mental health issues, but what I always fail to disclose is that I have issues with the mental health facility, which is a whole different level. And apparently, this debate is banned.

So yeah, I just don't know any better in terms of mental health. Which compromises all of my work. And all of my social media. But people wanna spend time talking about what billionaires are doing, the stock market, the fucking energy transition... dude, chill. You're not a climate scientist. That stuff is advanced as fuck, it's not your job. You wanna do something, share an article about fucking plant based meat and it's already gonna be stressful for you because the barbecue lovers are gonna think you're fucking gay or whatever, that's the level... but like, focus on your shit. Because I sure as fuck don't focus on freaking Faceflow drama. And about Omegle, I reported many things that were problematic, andd the shocks I've had were, if you knew, considerably greater than yours.

That being said, visit my Linktree, and if you want a more entertaining thing to do, there's my song catalogue.

Thanks, but like, this could have been a sticker.

[phanfictioncatalogue]

History/Math/Science Geek Masterlist

Beauty And The Geek - amazingdanielhowell

Summary: Dan and Phil are both fairly popular but in different clicks and the school ships them.

Chemistry (ao3) - howelllesters

Summary: Based on this prompt, ‘sporty!dan is lab partners with computergeek!phil and magic happens.’

Color Me Shades of Smitten (ao3) - andedan

Summary: High school au in which Dan is an introspective poet, and Phil is a quiet math geek. One day their paths cross, and their lives both change for good.

crayons and constellations (ao3) - howelllesters

Summary: “I’m the shy, quiet art major in our painting class and you’re the insane math major who’s always raving on about how the universe is full of dimensions that 3D can’t capture and how beautiful that is" AU. Or, the one where Phil takes Dan stargazing, and shows him the beauty in not knowing.

DBC - full-dark-no-starss

Summary: It’s 1995 and five kids are stuck in detention the night of year eleven prom. There’s the bad boy; Dan, with his battered leather jacket, bad attitude and lame crush on Phil, the hot-headed geek who hates him. Then there’s Emma; the strange red-head with no voice, Louise, the pretty rich girl and Joe, the guy who’s captain of every sport in the school, but his only interest is drama.

How to make a star (ao3) - okasennascribe

Summary: Space is amazing, there are planets, galaxies, and stars made out of pop cans?

In The Area (ao3) - Elleberquist6

Summary: Excerpt: Dan admired him for a moment, running a hand down his milky thigh before paying him the compliment he was due, “You’re a marvelous specimen of humanity.”

“You too,” Phil whispered, but then said louder, “I can tell that you’re a testament to your kind, too.”

Dan noticed where Phil’s eyes kept flicking and he laughed. “Want something?”

Phil’s cheeks got pink and he was having trouble maintaining eye contact, but he said, “Um, well, are you ready? To study me I mean…”

Pastel Princess - analphancones

Summary: Phil is at a loss for what to give Dan for Christmas. He doesn’t have the money he wishes he did to give Dan the best Christmas gift ever. Dan is a poetry geek, a pastel boy with a passion for being a teen poet. Phil is a punk with no clue how to write, but for Christmas Phil gives it a shot and writes Dan a love poem. In return Dan does the same and in way of a gift, they recite their love poems to each other while having sweet, slow, and romantic sex on Christmas eve.

Science Projects And Bullies (ao3) - Angel_Of_Darkness1

Summary: Dan Howell is one of the popular kids who is invited out to parties all the time and is every ones friend. Phil Lester is one of the losers who is hated by everyone and beaten up everyday by Dan and his friends.. So when Phil finds out that he has a science project, and his partner is the one and only Dan Howell, you can only imagine why he is so absolutely terrified and done with life.

Teach Me How To Kiss (ao3) - cityscaped

Summary: Dan is a typical notorious bad boy smoker who couldn’t give a shit about anything. Phil is a quiet librarian nerd who spends too much of his time in an abandoned tower in school. After rumours were spread that Dan had slept with many girls, and his two friends finding about it, Dan’s dirty little secret is exposed. Dan has no idea how to kiss. And what does he do? He gets kissing lessons from Phil.

That Damn Project (ao3) - developerdaniel

Summary: "I love you," Phil purred softly before he slowly pushed into Dan, taking his sweet time to ensure he didn't hurt his boyfriend. He let out soft grunts and moans as he used all of his willpower to not buck right into the younger boy, but his tight slick heat was almost too much around his cock and he knew he wasn't going to last as long as he usually could.

~*~*~ aka: the sequel to Class Partners that literally no one asked for featuring punk!virgin!bottom!Dan giving all of himself to geek!top!Phil with lots of fluff and some p great love making.

The Partner Project - fakecouple

Summary: The AU in which Phil is the nerd, and Dan is the rebellious bad boy with witty quips.

You're As Cute as 3.142 (ao3) - phanetixs

Summary: “Dan, sweet sweet Dan. All the girls in our class are mad about Phil Lester with his blue eyes and cheekbones and what is he doing about it? Dan, all he’s doing is staring at you,” Louise raises an eyebrow whilst saying this and Dan’s mind becomes increasingly fuzzy in connecting the dots.

or, the story of Dan & Phil, Math rivals, who are secretly into each other.

[lilacerull0]

Hey jo!

I did the mbti personality test again! I knew I had to because the last time I did it was years ago way before lockdown and everything! I was probably 14. So the only thing that's different is that I'm more introverted than extroverted now (which is obvious). I'm officially an infp, which tbh seems to fit me more. I still don't know much, but I read the description. I am not sure how I feel, it's surely more relatable and well, realistic! I don't know what to think, but that's me!! (Yes I am making a deal out of this, sorry?)

Anyway I wanted to tell someone, i hope you don't mind your overthinking friend venting here. Love you so so much 💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗

I so love this gif.

Mais, I am an overthinker and a rambler and an incredibly annoying nerd, why. would. I. mind?????????? INFP I THINK EMMA IS AN INFP OMG @the-girl-who-cried-wolf ?????? This is one of my favourite personality types, there's Todd Anderson, Peter Parker, CHARLIE KELMECKIS, Luna Lovegood, JUST SOME EXCEPTIONALLY AMAZING PEOPLE WHICH MAKES SO MUCH SENSE CUZ YOU'RE AMAZING!!!!!!!!! I'm an INTJ which is ✨A Curse (TM)✨, but I'm working on it!!!!! (I have Greg House, Beth Harmon, Mr. Darcy and Kat Stratford in my corner and I also think Doctor Strange? I think Kaz Brekker too? And that I'm not too thrilled about even tho I haven't met him yet dhsjdjsjdj + some famous people which I'm taking with a grain of salt, such as Nikola Tesla, Jane Austen and Emily Bronte, tho Emily does make sense to me because the way Wuthering Heights is written kinda fits my mindset???? *end geek rant*). You know you can be and are both, right? I always say that, one personality type doesn't have to "fit" you exclusively and this is all for fun (+ it actually helped me with some of my issues because: self awareness!!!!!), so I'd keep the ENFP one too (I mean Jo March is formally an ENFP I think, but I relate to her So Much and see her as an introvert and am probably projecting a little, but she's My Character in mine and everybody else's eyes apparently so who cares! + I have Neil's (ENFJ) energy. See my point? ✨Interpretation✨), then you get something close to the whole picture. My MBTI fits me very well and I don't know what's my second "diagnosis" but it's probably something completely contrasted with my current one, that's how humans function I guess. The only thing that must be the same is probably the Thinking >>>>>> Feeling part.

It's just that I have lots of Todds to bully into confidence now.🧙‍♀️ *evil laugh* YAY! (Yep, Dash (don't even try ok, I NEVER gave up) and Emma, this is about you 🧐, I think Stella also? I remember her mentioning it in the tags?)

And it's more than ok to make a big deal out of things!!!!! I try to ignore emotion and live outside of myself and here I am, with Greg House and Jo March as my fictional counterparts... *sad emoji* I view that as an admirable quality, making a big deal of things, you inspire me! Keep being you whoever that is or might be and just be, exist, write poetry, dance, it's called Keating-it-up! OMG ANNE SHIRLEY CUTHBERT IS AN INFP, MAAAAIS!!!!!!

- Your Friendly Neighborhood (Spider)Witch 🧙‍♀️🔮☀️

[third-rail-vip]

What is your character’s D&D Class?

Tagged by @briarfox13​ (over on my main) and @adventuresofmeghatron​ - thank you so much for the tag.  I love this!  Any excuse to get some more dnd stuff in my life.   There is so much bard in my girl according to this!  I really did not see that coming.

Of course, now I’m thinking about 5e race and class for my ocs, but maybe that’s for another post.  I did start art for this, but maybe I’ll make a separate project of that, see if I can get a dnd party together.

I tag @mayihavethisdanse​  @minuteminx​  @its-sixxers​ @ravenqueen89​ @mutantenfisch​ @wastewealth-commonland​

Ivy Kendrick (sole survivor)

Rules: Bold what definitely applies, italicise what sometimes applies.

𝙱𝙰𝚁𝙱𝙰𝚁𝙸𝙰𝙽 »   toothy grins, stories around the campfire, clothes covered in pet hair, hot temper, old jeans, heartbeat in head, potatoes and steak, beaded jewellery, bruises like galaxies, mementos, backpack stuffed full, craigslist furniture, spontaneous road trips, air ripped from lungs

𝙱𝙰𝚁𝙳 »   homemade bread, white lies, easily excited, trying on hats, band geek, pep talks, no impulse control, sunsets, vintage fashion, long showers, selfies, following dreams, rosy cheeks, song mash-ups, pink lemonade with tequila, loves easily, animated storyteller, full of comebacks

𝙲𝙻𝙴𝚁𝙸𝙲  »   list of wishes, biting their tongue, band-aids and neosporin, shoulder to cry on, morning sun, necklaces, trial and error, homemade quilts, formal clothing, astrology fan, messages in bottles, pleated braids, speaking up for friends, feathers, motivational quotes, vivid dreams

𝙳𝚁𝚄𝙸𝙳   »   bird watching, shy kid, wind chimes, trying to whistle, summer camp, apple orchards, lost in their head, glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling, hoodies, thrift shopping, saving worms off the sidewalk, pig latin, bare feet, thunderstorms, numb fingers, braided hair, naming potted plants

𝙵𝙸𝙶𝙷𝚃𝙴𝚁   »   goosebumps, leather jackets, adventure, chewing nails, cares deeply but can’t show it, bronze locks, no sleep, taste of iron, netflix binges, never forgets, combat boots, stories behind scars, table for one, official soundtracks, sore calves, trusts themselves the most

𝙼𝙾𝙽𝙺   »   always trying to be better, wanderlust, meditation, sweat pants, old photographs, yoga, sleeping in hammocks, nostalgia, minimalist design, a breath of fresh air, baby animals, volunteering, perfectionist, doesn’t care about fashion, healthy snacks, noticing the little things

𝙿𝙰𝙻𝙰𝙳𝙸𝙽   »   school uniforms, thick jackets, sleeping with the windows open, logical advice, scrapbooking, compasses, i fight for my friends, sculpture gardens, cold morning air, big soul, likes routine, secret romantic, last to get jokes, sunflowers, practical presents, misty weather

𝚁𝙰𝙽𝙶𝙴𝚁   »   herbal tea, smell of rain, blinking away tears, camping trips, collecting bones, swiss army knives, first impressions, anxious thoughts, bobby pins, burnt marshmallows, too competitive, clothes lines, messenger bags, holding grudges, gets along better with animals than people

𝚁𝙾𝙶𝚄𝙴   »   flirtatious sarcasm, candid photos, lost phone chargers, adrenaline rush, picking dirt out from beneath their nails, social chameleon, clashing clothes, self-deprecating jokes, claw machines, sits in chairs wrong, smudged eyeliner, has too many sunglasses, eats nothing or everything

𝚂𝙾𝚁𝙲𝙴𝚁𝙴𝚁   » infectious laugh, family trees, shivers down their spine, lipstick and roses, mood swings, clumsy, believing in destiny, high expectations, sleeping in darkness, collection of nail polish, passionate, good grades but never studies, poetry books, blowing kisses, not knowing their own strength

𝚆𝙰𝚁𝙻𝙾𝙲𝙺   »   knowing everyone’s secrets, backpack covered in pins, envy, being in walmart late at night, earl grey, selective memory, conspiracy theories and cryptids, key smashing, need to know basis, can’t cook, bags under eyes, experimental art, flickering bulbs, black clothing all year long

𝚆𝙸𝚉𝙰𝚁𝙳   »   piles of textbooks, cat in lap, keeping a diary, indecision, scented candles, studying alone in a café, lingering touches, museum dates, unanswered questions, taking on too much responsibility, collections, chalk dust, comfy robes, unnecessary apologies, coming home after a long day

[curious-minx]

Bob’s Burgers most reliable holiday  provides another lowkey enjoyable, but messy episode. Whereas the latest Simpsons strikes a really sore vocal node.

The second holiday episode of Bob’s Burgers’ 11th season, much like the previous Halloween episode, this one also fails to live up to the series�� even higher Thanksgiving standard

 That’s not to say “Diarrhea of a Poopy Kid” is not a good episode, but it does fall into the category of Bob’s Burgers episode I typically respond to the least: Character-based storytelling vignettes. The writing on these segment driven episodes tend to be looser and  playful bending the show’s reality, but much like every time the other Fox family leaves the Springfield plane of reality into a pastiche styled playground for the writers to plug the characters into.

The overall animation and visual-based gags on this episode offers some of the best moments of the season and series in general. Having the Belcher stories revolve around action movie pastiches of 90’s action movie schlock like Air Force Once, Armageddon, and late 80’s Predator  are extremely punny and really grasping hard for satire. The walk to Louise’s Breadator is succinct and makes total sense for Louise’s character to tell this kind of story, whereas Tina drawing inspiration from Air Force One for her story sags the episode down. This episode also has the gall to bring in Gayle, a character that usually elevates all of her episodes nothing much to do until the third and best segment told by Bob. Teddie is also frustratingly nowhere to be seen and Teddie is one of those characters that really only needs a small scene explaining away  his absence like in the episode “Gayle Makin’ Bob Sled,” which Variety and I consider to be among the best of Bob’s Thanksgiving episodes. 

Nitpicks and reminiscing on past glories aside, what’s most impressive about an episode as conceptual and overstuffed as this one, an episode that’s also poopy and gross-out from the very beginning, still manages to pack undeniable heart. Seeing a character as relatable and sad sack-y as Bob Belcher be passionate about his one favorite holiday reminds me of the everlasting and evergreen Ray Bradbury remark about how everyone is capable of writing poetry as long as you ask them to talk about something they are truly passionate about. Seeing how this episode climax revolves around Gene and Bob’s love of food and proves a powerful sentimental moment. Bob’s Burgers sentimentality works because the show’s core is silly absurdism, light and fluffy gross out gags and quirky twee-ness. Introducing the action movie element feels like the series trying to branch out its audience and try to catch some eyeballs of viewers looking for something more like Archer, American Dad, Rick and Morty, or even Treehouse of Horror style genre exercises.  Bob’s Burgers and action comedy feels like putting garlic pesto on cinnamon toast, but Ryan Reynolds doesn’t think so.

Yes, that’s right. The biggest news out of the Bob’s Burgers camp…probably ever…is that the Molyneux sisters, the writers of this very action packed episode, have been hand selected by Mr. Detective “VanWilder” Pickachu himself to be head writers on the upcoming third Deadpool movie. Seeing that we live in a post Russo brothers world and how Dan Harmon was conscripted to punch up Doctor Strange scripts none of this should really surprise me, but I am still very much surprised by this development. The Deadpool 3 creative team and Reynolds is still promising to deliver an R-Rated Comedy, a rating and promise that is very much why Deadpool is the sensation that it is. 

In the current media landscape the only way a big budget R-Rated comedy can get made is if it’s attached to something like a mega superhero sized brand. At this point in time Deadpool is the closest thing kids have to a Mel or Al Brooks and it is what it is. If anything Ryan Reynolds personally choosing the Molyneux sisters for a project like this makes me like Ryan Reynolds a little bit more. And he’s a man I previously had no real feelings or opinions about. The only other thing about Deadpool I know about is that the franchise has developed a particularly shitty reputation in terms of its treatment of main female characters and literally freezing them out of the plot. The future of comedy is being driven by the significant increase of women gaining these kind of writing gigs and it’s a beautiful thing to finally see witness. Especially when a company like Netflix has been really shitty to both of its own female driven comedies: Glow and Tucca and Bertie.

Sigh. I am thankful for all the sad little boys and girls wearing too much or maybe the right amount of eye shadow that will inherit this flaming Earth.

Three and half pear shaped pals out of an Oedipus Rex Complex. 

////

Nerds! Nothing but a lousy rotten sniveling dweeb! You dorkus-rex! You body pillow huffing geek get over here and let the Simpsons set some things straight for you: A Comic Book Guy driven episode of the Simpsons is often where the show goes off the rails. The Comic Book Guy marriage episode is was one of those late day Simpsons that feel like a bad piece of dreamed up fan fiction that you found on the cutting room floor. Is the show interested at all with the fact that comics and being nerdy have become as mainstream as the Bible? No? They’re still treating geek culture as some sort of low hanging piñata fruit lousy with cheap references in place of actual jokes? Good! I don’t know why I would ever allow myself to think for a second that the Simpsons would challenge its own status quo 32 seasons in, but I keep coming back. 

What I should really do is back up. The title of this episode is “Three Dreams Denied.” Ah, Dream Denial! That’s exactly what anyone watching an animated sitcom hopes for: dreams being crushed. This isn’t some kiddy Davy and Goliath feel good wholesome fable, this is the Simpsons where characters are given dreams, and those dreams get denied. The next part of the title I want to break down is the fact that there are specifically three dreams that being denied. Three! That’s a comedy number! As long as you have three of anything you’re doing comedy. Plain and simple.

During the Robert Zemeicks arc of the Blank Check podcast Griffin Newman, co-host and comedian extraordinaire and someone I generally admire a lot, has been bringing up the fact that he’s been spending a lot of his Quarantine rewatching the entirety of the Simpsons. By the episode of Used Cars Newman has already gotten past the Movie era and is in the 20th seasons. One observation he made about later day Simpsons is that these episodes have a tendency to end abruptly on a pile of unusable and reality bending plots still in the process of tying themselves up. And there’s no better/worse example of this than this episode. 

Comic Book Guy goes to a comic book convention. Bart becomes a voice actor after befriending the comic book guy’s temporary replacement. Lisa feuds over her saxophone chair in the school orchestra with a new pretty boy voiced by the underwhelming Ben Platt. One of these plots is not like the other. This used to be the signature of a quality Simpsons episode that managed to tweak and divert expectations from the typical A & B sitcom storylines. This episode fundamentally fails to deliver on any of the three storylines and what makes it worse is that it’s an intentional choice. 

Now I know I have spent this review harping on Comic Book Guy, but he’s not even why this episode for me is such an abomination. And it’s not because the cutesy, flimsy Lisa subplot either (although I do find it noxiously amusing that a week after an Yeardely Smith took issue with the Queer Interpretation of Lisa would feature her going moony eyed over a boy voiced by a defiantly queer actor), no, what tips this episode into the territory of the truly terrible for me is the Bart becomes a voice actor subplot. 

The only defining quality of season 32 that I can discern is that the flagrant trolling on behalf of the writers. Can you believe we had three vignette driven episodes of the Simpsons in a row? Can you believe we would have meta reality breaking voice actor related moments back to back? When Lisa Simpson’s voice actor Yeardley Smith voiced the real world character of herself in the previous Podcast based episode it was clumsy and awkward as hell. Having Bart become a voice actor that ends up voicing a character of the opposite gender is the sort of kind of a funny thing that resembles a joke that the latter day Simpsons revel in. The characterization of voice acting work in this episode is downright insulting and explains exactly why this show suffers. 

The character of Phil that serves as the Comic Book Guy’s replacement is a working voice actor. He let’s Bart know this by doing a series of completely basic, broad and unremarkable impersonations that Bart is seemingly impressed by. All you have to do to become a successful voice actor is do a silly voice and you’re golden. Maybe from the perspective of a series as lazy and indulgent as the Simpsons is when it comes to voice acting. The complete denial of Julie Kavner’s deteriorating voice that at this point sounds like gentle elder abuse. There are times when Kavner is downright incomprehensible at times. The other oldest member of the Simpsons voice talent, Harry Shearer was wrongheadedly trying to defend his right to voice Characters of Colors because  in his words, “the job of the voice actor is to play someone who they’re not.” Obviously these words were not spoken by someone that thinks very highly of acting either. There is no one job an actor has to do, because the job  of an actor is always changing from job to job. The character of Phil is not even attributed to anyone! I have spent over thirty minutes getting testy with IMDB search engines and reading another website’s recap and no one can tell me who did the voice of the Voice Acting Character on Simpsons. Lovely.

Much like the Comic Book Guy the Simpsons heart is in bad shape. This is a show whose entire existence seems to be made out of spite. Or to garner enough funds for Matt Groening to prevent him from ever having to serve any prison time for his exploits on the Lolita express. Great, see I’m bringing up the Lolita Express at the end of a Simpsons review. This episode really left me in a bad mood, but thankfully that’s what Bob’s Burgers is for. 

SKIP. The only people that should watch this are people teaching a screenwriting class that need examples of what happens when you break your episode by haphazardly shoving three plots into one episode. If you can’t tie up one story in a satisfying manner then you really shouldn’t be telling a story at all. There’s also one really magnificent visual joke involving Homer and beer tea that is absolutely wasted on this episode.

[geekgirlspoetryproject]

Follow me for more fandom-based poetry!

Sister Beatrice of "Warrior Nun" is one of my all-time favorite fictional characters. I relate to her on so many levels, but where she most breaks my heart is how she wrestles so hard with judging herself for her own longings. Kristina Tonteri-Young continues to bless us with reading a poem about those very feelings.

[ecllas]

                                           ⏤ meet ella

BASICS

name: eloise “ella” grace dawson

Age: 17

Grade: sophomore

House: seton

Cabin Room: cabin 2, room 1

How long have they been at Broadripple: a year and a half

Where are they from originally: boston, ma

Extra curricular: swim team member, women of broadripple, chamber choir

TRAITS

Positive Personality Traits: daring, imaginative, friendly, fun-loving, thrill-seeking

Neutral Personality Traits: romantic, inquisitive, book-worm, theater geek, fantastical, talkative, curious

Negative Personality Traits: impulsive, careless, immature, pushy,

FACTS

ella never wanted to attend broadripple. she was sent to the school due to her parent’s inability to control her rebellious behavior

the final straw for her parent’s was ella’s involvement with a rather unsavory young man, one too many nights sneaking out her bedroom window, and two one-way tickets to new york hidden in her blue journal.

ella is technically a middle child but was raised as the eldest. her older brother is a half-sibling from her father’s relationship with a woman proceeding his marriage to her mother. it’s something of a scandal and remains a tense knot in the dawson family dynamic. regardless, ella has always gotten along well with  both of her siblings. due to restricted contact with her parents and little brother, most of ella’s correspondence is with her older half-brother.

ella has always loved to swim. it was once a hobby that brought her and her father together. however, as ella has grown older her father’s expectations for her performance have also inclined. split between an unspoken and unrecognized desire to please her father and the uncompromising weight of his standards, ella’s love for swimming as faltered. she switches from being a determined and competitive teammate to a lax participant content to enjoy the pool as a recreational activity rather than a sport

it was not ella’s choice to participate in the women of broadripple club. her father’s strong encouragement ( what others may call threats ) pushed ella into dragging her feet into one of the meetings. although she wouldn’t otherwise admit it, ella actually enjoys women of broadripple, mostly when they listen to her obviously amazing ideas. while she might complain about how boring the meetings are, she genuinely enjoys the time she shares with the girls at her school.

ella’s deepest passion has always been books. ever since she was small she was an avid reader, perusing her father’s library and climbing on her mother’s lap so the two could spend the afternoon reading together on the parlor sofa. stories came to her with the same ferocity and ease. before she could write, ella was telling stories. to her older brother, her younger brother, her parents, to the trees in the backyard, students on the playground, and her darkened ceiling in the middle of the night. her mother still holds on to a spiral notebook filled with ella’s first attempts at ‘stories,’ a jumbled mish-mash of letters that didn’t form real words, but ella would fervently assure were telling a story ( and thus would promptly rehearse her most recent magnum opus )

ella attempts all genres but her most frequent is fiction. although, as of late she has made more attempts at poetry and a few meager attempts at song writing at the encouragement of her swim captain, damian fitzgerald.

ella lives for the rush. it prompts her reckless behavior, rule breaking, and frequent ‘explorations’ out of the dorms ( or cabins ) after lights out. it also fuels her love for acting and theater. although she doesn’t have any lofty aspirations for becoming an actress, she lives for the opportunity to perform on stage, study a character and embody them for an audience. she considers it a study for her own literary pursuits as well as a hobby she can enjoy shamelessly, as her father has been content to keep his hands out of it.

HEADCANONS

ella’s favorite artist is Daughter. don’t even get her started on it because there is a high probability it will make her emotional. she actually owns all the CDs daughter has released and keeps them in a decorative box under her bunk. an ‘emergency stash’ in the unfortunate case of a zombie apocalypse that takes out her spotify account in the wake of complete fallout.

ella has a favorite bracelet. she is almost never seen without it, although she will occasionally put the bracelet in the pocket of her backpack if teachers are being especially obnoxious about the dress code. it has an adjustable wrist with a silver sparrow figure.

ella always, always has her light blue moleskine journal on hand. it’s messy, filled to the brim with sketches, quotes, lyrics, ideas she haphazardly wrote on the corner of her chemistry notes, pictures etc. the original strap is worn down with use and as a result ella has macgyvered an additional ribbon onto the journal to keep it secure. it is her most prized possession. she is very secretive with its contents and will go out of her way to keep it hidden from prying eyes. she can often be seen hunched over it, scribbling away, far more involved with the world she is creating on the page than the one surrounding her.

her favorite food is cinnamon rolls. rather than eating cake on her birthday, her mother baked a pan of home made cinnamon rolls drizzled with creamy icing. the closure of the copper kettle was particularly devastating because it meant the loss of the best cinnamon rolls in the area. sure, the local bakery had decent enough cinnamon rolls, but they were never quite as good. as a connoisseur of cinnamon rolls, ella holds her opinion on the subject in high regard.

ella deeply enjoys singing but is rather shy about it. while she may participate in chamber choir, she’s more a supporting vocalist and little more. despite every aspect of herself being unabashed and open, ella is very secretive with her singing. the only time she has ever had any form of ‘solo’ was with damian fitzgerald after a night of drinking. although she looks back on the event with some embarrassment, it has encouraged her to try to be a more confident performer and incorporate singing into more of her creative works

the transition from the dorms to the cabins has caused a bit of a shift in ella’s writing as of late. with so many strange occurrences piling up, ella finds the subject of her prose leaning towards macabre portrayals of hungry, consumptive woods and sudden vanishings. although ella has playfully teased freshman with a few spooky variations of the edith lynch tale, she mostly only ‘believed’ in the story because it was more exciting than letting it be little more than small-town folklore. now she finds herself leaning into the rumors more and more, although her motivations are rather self-serving, seeking inspiration for her writing and other projects rather than genuine concern.

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RETREAT

What do they think about The Retreat? 

Ella has mixed emotions about the retreat. she’s excited to finally have an excuse to be off campus, but bemoans the lack of wifi and other luxuries she’s always taken for granted. in spite of being a self-proclaimed lover of adventure, she has little experience with camping. she has enjoyed day-hikes, but long stretches of time in cabins is very out of her element. family vacations included hotels, European cities and sandy beaches, not centipedes, several students to a room, and mosquitos. there are times where ella enjoys and thrives in the environment, making the best of her situation, clowning about with her peers, or digging into her writing. there are also times where she wishes she could cuddle up in her air-conditioned dorm room and binge-watch avatar: the last airbender on netflix with wendy sanderson without risking a spiderbite.

Do they have any previous experience with camping or other outdoors?

ella has 0 experience camping. she has gone on day-hiking trips and brief vacation to mountain resorts, but it has always been a very upscale experience.

What does their cabin bunk look like? How will they decorate their space?

ella decorated her space as much as she could to make it feel like her own. she has pictures and quotes pinned up on the wall along with a few glow-in-the-dark stars ( each with their own made-up constellation ). she strung up a few paper lanterns from her dorm room and always has a flashlight handy for late night reading under the covers. above her bed, either on the ceiling or the bottom of the mattress above her, ella has secured a tapestry of the night sky. as an individual with many books, she’s had to be creative with her storage. she has one ‘shelf’ she made out of command hooks and a cloth bag that contains her ‘current reads’ and rests on the wall closest to her head. the others are stored beneath the bunk or in a duffle bag.

Do they believe in the supernatural? To what degree?

ella believes in mermaids, aliens and changelings more than she believes in demons or bigfoot. and even then she believes in them in a whimsical, day-dreaming sort of way rather than as a scientific pursuit. in a sense, she ‘believes’ in things because of how they make her feel rather than genuinely believing in them. she doesn’t want to prove such things exist. she finds far more enjoyment in the mystery of it all. that being said, recent events have shifted her perspective a bit. although ella plays it cool, she is unnerved about everything going on in her school. although a rather brave girl, being in the woods has shaken her more than she initially thought. for how much she’s fantasized about running off into the darkness herself, now that she’s halfway there she’s beginning to doubt her willingness to leave the security of four brick walls and a sturdy gate behind.

Are they easily spooked?

not exactly. in fact, ella is more likely to investigate something ‘spooky’ rather than flee. if another person scares her, she’s more likely to react with laughter and teasing than to be upset. but she does get spooked by strange shadows or sounds, often enflamed by her overactive imagination. she just choses to face her fear as an opponent rather than flee from it.

AND FINALLY

A very dumb but (hopefully) fun quiz made by your admins, please share what result you got

“the lord will protect me from any evil” !!!! I have no idea how this bitch got it, but somehow she did?? guess god is also a fan of cinnamon rolls, reckless endangerment and a rad story.

[chiropter36]

So.  Who hasn’t ever imagined the Greek gods as mortals in a domestic modern setting?  

...Well, okay, there’s actually quite a bit of existing art and fanfiction related to the concept.  But I’ve had this “AU,” of sorts, developing in my head off and on for a while now, and wanted to share it, just for any other mythology geeks out there who might be interested.

To that end: courtesy of artwork by the amazing @thesnadger​, meet the children of the Olympios family!  (Well, the ones from the main twelve at least - there are six more siblings/half-siblings among Zeus’s kids, plus all the cousins and honorary family members and so forth.  It’s a big family.)

Brief character blurbs under the cut.  I don’t really have any specific plans for this AU to go anywhere – it’s mostly just a casual, self-indulgent thing – but if, by chance, this piques any interest and anyone would like to know more about these kids (or any other characters not included here – I’ve thought a lot about this crazy extended family), I would absolutely love the excuse to talk more about them, so any questions are welcome!

(Note: I keep going back and forth on whether they should have more modern-sounding names or just stick with the originals, so I’ve included both, or at least ones I’m considering but haven’t settled on.)

(Note 2: Just for the record, given that this is meant to be set in the modern day, for the purposes of the AU I have taken the liberty of… editing the Olympian family tree a tad, in the interest of toning down the, y’know, incest.  So, no sibling marriage or anything going on, Zeus and Hera are unrelated here.)

Athena (Tiena)

Age – 17

The wise-beyond-her-years, overachieving valedictorian who makes it look easy.  Seemingly popped up out of nowhere to join the family when she was 9.  Rather intimidating, but in a charismatic way; often the “leader” of the kids (much to Ares’ chagrin).  Already taking several college courses (started planning her sociology/political science double major before she hit high school), she balances that with a host of extracurriculars (she slays in debate club just as much she does martial arts) while still making time for her weaving, pottery, and industrial arts hobbies.  Also grows miniature olive trees.

Ares (Reece)

Age – 15

The eldest son, and rebellious “problem child.”  Prideful, temperamental and petty, but very insecure beneath it all; secretly hurt by his parents’ lack of pride in and low expectations of him (a state of things that is… not entirely his own fault).  Talks a big game, but tends to fold easily against anyone who isn’t cowed by his tough-guy act.  Forever bitter toward Athena for “stealing” his position as the oldest sibling.  Idolizes the U.S. military; fully intends to enlist the second he turns eighteen and for all the wrong reasons.  Due for some harsh (but hopefully constructive) reality checks.

Hephaestus (Fess? Jeff? Eustace? Seriously, nothing sounds like this one)

Age – 14

The socially awkward, geeky tech wiz.  Diligent and hardworking, has a strong passion for metalwork and mechanical engineering (huge fan of shows like Man at Arms).  Always busy with some project or other, when not participating in as many robotics competitions as he can manage.  Machines are easier for him than people.  Generally a kindhearted boy, dislikes conflict and often tries (with limited success) to play peacemaker among the family; however, he can also fall into bouts of self-pity, and on the rare occasions he gets pushed too far, shows a rather unpleasant vindictive streak.

Artemis (Artemia? Artie? Temmie?)

Age – 11

Nature-loving wild child and shameless daddy’s girl.  Concluded at age 5 that marriage is stupid and she’ll be taking no part in it.  Rarely indoors if she can help it; most likely to be seen running around the yard or local parks with her dogs and gang of girlfriends (her Girl Scout troop nominally has an adult in charge, but everyone knows who the real leader is).  Has a significant soft spot for baby animals (humans included).  Perpetually vying with Apollo over the top spot in their junior archery team.  Treats any sort of “hunting” game – from hide-and-seek to Pokémon Go – very seriously.

Apollo (Paulo)

Age – 11

The popular, artsy preteen heartthrob.  Along with the archery talent shared with his twin, he is a musical prodigy (favoring string and voice), and not too humble about either.  Writes a lot of original lyrics, and has a passion for poetry in general.  Surprisingly superstitious – knows a lot about omens and divination methods, and his intuitions are often scarily accurate.  Has a reputation for honesty and helpfulness, always stepping up if someone is hurt (has all the relevant Boy Scout badges).  Sense of justice is rather black-and-white, though, and he can hold long grudges.

Hermes (Jeremias)

Age – 8

The mischievous little scamp who everyone can’t help but like.  Whether sneaking extra snacks before dinner or running an elementary school gambling ring, he consistently escapes punishment by being just so gosh-darn charmingly precocious.  (And that’s only if he gets caught.)  Eloquent and possessing a large vocabulary for his age, he’s a natural diplomat and salesman.  Equally at home in the city or on his mom’s sheep farm.  Loves travelling and interacting with new people.  A sporty kid, enjoys running and gymnastics.  Often serves as his dad’s unofficial spokesman, a role he delights in.

Dionysus (Dennis)

Age – 4

The goofy, lovable baby of the family.  A preemie, and a bit developmentally delayed.  Loud and boisterous, his emotions are never a secret – which, combined with his wild mood swings, can make him a major handful.  Throws violent tantrums at the drop of a hat, and snaps out of them just as suddenly.  Loves acting out stories; a definite theater kid-in-the-making.  Doesn’t know the terms yet, but is fully on board with being a boy and/or a girl, whatever suits his fancy.   Enjoys playing in the dirt, and shows an interest in gardening – can name all the fruit crops.  Always leaving juice stains everywhere.

[ambrcses]

˙ ˖ ✶ hi hunnies!! i’m olivia (she/her) and i’m super stoked to be apart of this group! fun fact, i just got back in town from a lil vacation and i have SO much unpacking to do. probably won’t end up touching my suitcase until next month:) so that should probably tell you the kind of lazy bitch i am.......... moving on, this is my son ambrose! he likes to go by aj. if you’d like to read more about my sweet boy, feel free to skim over my rambles!! also, i love brainstorming plots & creating detailed connections! ( *whispers* i have a few v basic wc’s on aj’s blog as well! ) sooooo if thats your jam 👀 hit ya girl up!

( luke hemmings, cismale ) AMBROSE “AJ” BARNETTE, the QUIXOTIC, is TWENTY-ONE and a JUNIOR. HE is majoring in ENGLISH LIT. In addition to being Quentin’s ROOMMATE, they are part of the Imperium Society. AJ was probably selected because HE BECAME A NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLING AUTHOR AT THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN. They remind me of HAND WRITTEN LOVE LETTERS, RING CLADDED FINGERS, GETTING DRUNK OFF RED WINE, LATE NIGHT CONVERSATIONS.

˙ ˖ ✶ digging deep!

aj was born and raised a single child to a young & successful couple stuck in a loveless marriage. their bond formed by forced as a business transaction, really set the stage for the type of environment aj would inevitably grow up in.

aj spent most of his days stuck in a austere high rise penthouse in seattle, wa. he was mostly raised by nannies, women who would come and go as fast as the weather changed in the cloudy city. he rarely spent one on one time with his parents. at first their lack of family time was because of his parent’s work obligations, but eventually, aj made the choice to not to even bother trying to form a relationship with either of them.

his parents marriage was filled with lies, infidelity, and resentment. whenever they were pissed at each other, they would end up taking their anger out on the nannies and aj himself. for years they made him feel like a burden. as aj got older, he learned how to hide the emotional/spiritual pain they inflicted on him.

but growing up, aj had always been a sweet boy. he mostly kept to himself, his closest friends being the fictional characters from his favorite books. aj was quiet and extremely independent. but despite that & the loveless environment he was born into, the kid had a bleeding heart. he cared so passionately for others. he was kind, and felt a silent obligation to protect those who needed protection. he wanted to be the good in the world his parents swore didn’t exist.

˙ ˖ ✶ the small stuff!

in high school, aj was your typical boy next door. he was very approachable, charming, kind, goodhearted, etc etc. although he had all the right equipment to be a total lothario, sleeping around & using girls didn’t really spark his interests. instead, he continued to spend his precious time reading, writing, and daydreaming full blown movie plots with whatever pretty girl he had his eye on at the moment.

although aj didn’t necessarily sleep around, he definitely wasn’t a prude. i’d say he’s more of a serial monogamist more than anything. he’s such a hopeless romantic. he just wants to find the girl of his dreams and give her everything she’s ever wanted. he’s such a slut for love, god i hate him

in his senior year of high school, he met his favorite teacher, mr danes, who taught ap english lit. this teacher saw potential in aj after he submitted quite a moving poetry project. mr. danes gave aj the confidence to start taking writing seriously. this sparked the beginning of a crazy, rapid-fast journey aj set foot on when he decided to publish some personal poetry. he genuinely didn’t think his book would blow up to the success it did ( think of the likes of milk and honey by rupi kaur ) but he quickly became a new york times best seller. 

~ let skip over aj applying & getting accepted to ashcroft university ~

aj is majoring in english lit obviously. he wants to pursue writing! 

he was quentin’s roommate. aj being aj, i imaging them having a pretty solid friendship. i definitely don’t think aj is taking his death lightly /: his poetry rn is probably pretty dark and questioning the meaning of life and deep shit like that ksjdaks

˙ ˖ ✶ personality!

like i said, aj is super kind and charming! he’s the kind of dreamy guy that doesn’t know what a catch he is?? this is probably due to the lowkey insecurities he has thanks to his shitty parents:)

he can most likely be found in his dorm room or in the library! still likes to keep to himself, but isn’t the type of turn down company. he’d be too scared to hurt someone’s feelings lmao.

but let me tell ya’ what he has a zero shit tolerance for !! negativity !! so if your muse is a pessimists.......... aj probably isnt their biggest fan /:

HUGE GEEK. talk to him about game of thrones, star wars, video games, etc etc. and he will literally not shut up.

very much a go with the flow kind of guy. doesn’t tend to sweat the small stuff.

is most likely not sleeping /: like ever /: so if its late and your in need of some help, aj is your guy!

lowkey self destructive............ like in a self sabotage kind of way. he never lets himself be too happy for too long :((

tends to romanticize like .. everything. it’s like he’s constantly wearing rose colored glasses. aj can just be a lot sometimes u know?

thats all i got for now kasjdakd he’s a fairly new muse for me so we’ll be learning more about him together :’)

[wlwhc]

A to Z Fluff - Lena Luthor

—————————————————————-

(A/N):

FINALLY SOME LENA FLUFF

I apologize for the low quality of this thing, I’m doing my best at writing on my phone since Tumblr on my PC does not let me post anything, Idk why

I also have to put the codes like and you guys know I write long things so…it’s making me crazy, sorry for any grammar mistakes to JUST SORRY FOR EVERYTHING OKAY?

—————————————————————

A= Attractive.

what do they find attractive about the other

Your hands,  off all things,  this angel find your hands to be the most attractive part of your already unbelievable attractive body. Is not just because she’s a thirsty gay, is also because she finds your hand movements to be as graceful as art itself. You use your hands a lot to be express yourself, from a simple point of view to a delicate touch that reminds her how much you love her,  she loves your hands.

—————————————————————-

B= Baby

Do they want a family?  Why? / Why not?

Y E S. But not soon,  she would love have kids with you,  two or three as much, but she doesn’t want to rush things and she has the company and too much work,  she likes her work, so she want to have a family with you when the right time comes,  and she knows she’ll have time for you and the baby(ies). *whispers* and she wants a girl

—————————————————————-

C= Cuddle

How do they cuddle?

The tighter you hold her the better. She will be so close to you,  she just loves to dive into your arms and forget about the world and the weigh of the company on her shoulders. A lot of neck kisses oh my god,  this girl,  she just can’t help it,  she will see a little bit of skin and she’ll have to kiss it!

Also,  don’t even try to get up from that couch or she’ll murder you with a glare,  or she’ll do grabby hand and will pout and you’ll probably die from so much cuteness.

She’s really needy for affection, most of the times she’s between your legs or sitting on your lap,  either way,  she will always manage to hide in the crook on your neck if she gets sleepy,  and she’s always holding your hands.

—————————————————————-

D= Dates

what are dates with them like?

A lot of laughs and gossip. You want dates for her to be fun,  so you always manage to make her laugh and complain about her Co-workers if necessary,  she loves the awful nicknames you give them.

“so,  it’s monkey ass face bothering you again? ”

“no,  this time is Assbut”

.

“ugh freaking Assbut,  he’s worst than coin face”

But there’s also heavy flirting and a lot of compliments,  specifically from her part. A lot of lips bites too,  thirsty gay mode on.

—————————————————————-

E= Everything

You are my ____ (e.g my life,  my world)

“You’re my everything, I see you everywhere I laid my eyes to,  I hear you in every melody, I don’t how you did it y/n,  but I’m immersed in your world,  and I don’t think I can get out of it”

—————————————————————-

F= Feeling

When they did know they were falling in love?

She noticed it,  it was subtle almost non-existing but it was there, her smile was bigger when you were around her,  her body would nonchalantly get closer to you like a magnet, she knew what was happening… And she didn’t hold back.

—————————————————————-

G= Gentle

Are they gentle with you?  if so,  how?

She’s such a sweetheart. She’s really sweet and soft with you,  even when she has to be firm or spat the truth at your face she will do it with a soft voice, never raising it or looking threatening.

—————————————————————-

H= Hand/Hold

How do they like to hold hands?

It’s subtle,  sometimes people misread it as a common thing because she will hold your hand mostly to drag you from place to place on the company. But you know that is not actually it,  she is not a big fan of PDA.

She loves to hold your hand while she’s taking with you,  softly caressing it with her thumb.

—————————————————————-

I= Impression

First Impression/s

Stunning,  you are stunning and oh my she was dying to talk to you. She nervously aproches you,  your eyes focus on your project,  clearly interested on whatever thing you were writing down. She clears her throat,  calling your attention,  and when she started talking to you asking about your project,  she was stunned. You are not only gorgeous,  but smart too!

—————————————————————-

J= Joker

Are they into pulling pranks?

Yes,  that devilish smirk of her should be enough for you to noticed when she is going to prank you. From little jumps scares,  to dyeing your hair, but nothing that may hurt you,  it’s just to get revenge on something or just to have some laughs.

—————————————————————-

K= Kisses

How do they kiss?

Extremely good, she will kill you,  or revive you,  she has no in between. Sometimes she will suck the life out of your tiny body with those hungry kisses that will also make you weak,  or will revived you with those sweet sweet kisses where you are sure angels are singing and bells are ringing.

She is a sucker for lip bites, so be prepared my friend,  she will eat you. A hand in your neck, so she can deep the kiss,  another hand either on your waist or hip,  she’ll grip you tightly. Her lips are so fucking sOFT.

Will absolutely don’t give a damn sometimes and make out with you on her office, sometimes neck kisses will be involve and she LOVES, Neck kisses.

—————————————————————-

L= litttle things

what little things do they love/notice?

You stumble over your words everytime you’re excited. And she can’t help but love it,  she thinks is adorable.

Another thing she noticed is how handworker you are,  you even spend more hours working that her. And even though she’s your boss,  she can’t get you out of your office,  too busy with your project. She sees your passion and interest in your project,  she loves it. Because no matter how tired you are,  you always smile at her at the end on the night when she asks you about how’s your project.

And a thing that she loves,  is how protective you are,  even though you said otherwise. You show this with little gestures,  a lunchbox on her office,  giving her your jacket when it’s raining,  arguing with anyone that dares to throw dirt on her name. You care,  she noticed that you care.

—————————————————————-

M= Memory

they favorite moments together

That moment after falling asleep. A lot of things can happen, but the best thing is that it’s just Lena and you,  no one else to bother,  just your girlfriend and you. Lena adores this moment,  when she can kiss you and talk to you with the comfort of her pajamas and bed.

—————————————————————-

N= Nickel

Do they spoil? Do they buy the person they love everything?

“Aw what a cute Puppy-LENA PUT THAT MONEY DOWN”

“but I want to buy it for you!”

She is rich,  she is in love,  she will spoil you to death,  I think that there’s no need to explain this. Whatever you want,  look or even just thought about,  you will have it,  no discussion.

—————————————————————-

O= Orange

what color reminds them of their other half?

Your favorite color

—————————————————————-

P= Petnames

What pet-names do they use?

Dear - Babe - Love -Sweetheart - Baby - Dr. Y/L/N (kinky cinnamon roll)

—————————————————————-

Q= Questions

what are the questions they’re always askin?

Have you eaten yet? 

Being a scientist and working for such an important company plus you being very passionate about your work,  would always lead you to forget about taking care of yourself,  your take more care of Lena that yourself. So Lena has to remind you to take a break,  just like you do with her. The biggest problem with you is food,  sometimes you will forgot to eat,  so Lena is always asking you if you had something to eat.

—————————————————————-

R= Remember

Their favorite memory of each other

That moment when it was just you and her,  alone, in a blanket fort at 4 am after she had a nightmare, product of the countless times when she almost faced death. She needed to get herself out of that dark world,  so you build a blanket fort,  drag her inside and begin talking about future projects she wanted to do, needless to say,  she forget all about her nightmare,  and got consumed by your voice, messy hair and paper mess.

I know a look people will think this is not romantic or shit, and you’re right, but it was what she needed,  no sugary words or endless promises about keeping her safe,  she needed someone to be there for her. You didn’t got scared or pity her,  you were there for her, and you know when she needs to be hold and when to be distracted. You are her friend,  not only her beloved,  and that’s something she hadn’t figure it out yet… Until that day.

—————————————————————-

S= Sad

How they cheer themselves / each other up

Disney marathons + cuddles

Lena loves it, sometimes you’ll have to sneak some alcohol to the mix but sometimes is not even necessary,  your warmth is enough for her.

She will cheer you up with kisses, cuddles and going out to do something out of the ordinary to make you forget about whatever had upset you.

—————————————————————-

T= Talking

what do they love talking about?

Science. You’re the only one that can understand her, and geek out with her. From Stars Wars conversations to the theories and number and oh my lord she won’t stop geeking.

—————————————————————-

U= Universe

Use a metaphor,  what are they to each other?  (e.g he was the universe, ever-changing and mysterious)

“She is made up of words that not anyone can understand, her mind is a dictionary of sadness and headache, her heart is a poetry book for the hopeless, she is the prettiest song, the most meaningful haiku, nd the longest novel, It takes a while to read her, Seconds to love her, And a lifetime to forget her”

—————————————————————-

V= Very___

they thoughts about each other (e.g she’s very smart,  he’s very stubborn, they’re very annoying)

she’s can be very childish with you, you’re very fond of her, she’s very soft with you, you’re very smart

—————————————————————-

W= Why

Reason why the love each other

You’re her everything. You’re not just a lover, someone to hold at night, you’re also her friend, and even though she has Kara, is still weird for her to have friends, and now she has you. You’re there for her, good times and bad times no matter what happens you are there, you listen to her and also know when to keep your mouth shout, but most important, you don’t have doubts about her, about the weight on her shoulders, about her turning “evil” , you trust her with your life, and that…that made her dive into you, that made her heart feel safe.

—————————————————————-

X= Xylophone

What’s they’re song?

Coldplay - Something just like this 

Url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FM7MFYoylVs

—————————————————————-

Y= You the ___ to my ___ (e.g the cookie to my milk,  the macaroni to my cheese)

You’re the force to my Jedi 

—————————————————————-

Z= Zebra

if they wanted a pet,  what pet would they get?

[twenty-nothing]

OneHundredSixtyNine

[x] I have read a book. [x] I have been on some sort of team. [x] I have run more than 2 miles without stopping. [x] I have been to Canada. [x] I have watched cartoons for hours.

[x] I have tripped UP the stairs. [x] I have fallen down an entire flight of stairs. [ ] I have been snowboarding/skiing.

[x] I have played ping pong. [x] I swam in the ocean. [ ] I have been on a whale watch. [x] I have seen fireworks. [ ] I have seen a shooting star. [ ] I have seen a meteor shower. [ ] I have almost drowned. [x] I have been so embarrassed I wanted to disappear. [x] I have listened to one cd over & over & over again. [x] I have had stitches. [ ] I have had frostbite. [ ] I have licked a frozen pole and got stuck there [x] I have stayed up til 2 doing homework/projects. [x] I currently have a job [x] I have been ice skating. [x] have been rollerblading [x] I have fallen flat on my face. [x] I have tripped over my own two feet. [ ] I have been in a fist fight. [x] I have played videogames for more than 3 hours straight. [ ] I have watched The Power Rangers [ ] I do/have attended Church regularly. [x] I have played truth or dare. [x] I’ve called someone stupid. And meant it. [x] I’ve been in a verbal argument. [x] I’ve cried in school. [ ] I’ve played basketball on a team. [x] I’ve played softball on a team. [ ] I’ve played baseball on a team. [ ] I’ve played football on a team. [ ] I’ve played soccer on a team. [x] I’ve done cheerleading. [ ] I’ve swam on a team. [ ] I’ve been on a track or cross country team. [x] I’ve been swimming more than 20 times in my life. [ ] I’ve thrown up going on a ride at an amusement park. [ ] I’ve climbed a rock wall. [ ] I’ve lost more than $20. [x] I’ve called myself an idiot. [x] I’ve called someone else an idiot.

[x] I’ve cried myself to sleep. [x] I’ve had (or have) pets. [ ] I’ve owned a Spice Girls cd. [x] I’ve owned a Britney Spears cd. [ ] I’ve owned an N*Sync cd. [ ] I’ve owned a Backstreet Boys cd. [ ] I’ve mooned someone. [x] I’ve swore at someone. [x] I’ve been in the newspaper. [ ] I’ve been on TV. [ ] I’ve been to Hawaii. [x] I’ve eaten sushi. [ ] I’ve been on the other side of a waterfall [ ] I’ve watched all of the Lord of the Rings movies. [ ] I’ve watched all the Harry Potter movies. [ ] I’ve watched all of the Rocky movies. [ ] I’ve watched the 3 Stooges at least once [ ] I’ve watched “Newlyweds” Nick & Jessica. [ ] I’ve watched Looney Tunes. [ ] I’ve been stuffed into a locker. [ ] I’ve been called a geek. [x] I’ve studied hard for a test and got a bad grade. [x] I’ve not studied at all for a test and aced it. [ ] I’ve hugged my mom within the past 24 hrs. [ ] I’ve hugged my dad within the past 24 hours. [ ] I’ve met a celebrity/music artist. [ ] I’ve written poetry. [ ] I’ve been arrested. [x] I’ve been attracted to someone much older than me. [ ] I’ve been tickled till I’ve peed. [ ] I’ve tickled someone else until they cried. [ ] I’ve had/have siblings. [ ] I’ve been to a rock concert. [x] I’ve listened to classical music and enjoyed it. [ ] I’ve been in a play. [x] I’ve been picked last in gym class. [x] I’ve been picked first in gym class.

[x] I’ve been picked in that middle-range in gym class. [x] I’ve cried in front of my friends. [ ]I’ve read a book longer than 1,000 pages. [ ] I’ve played Halo 2. [x] I’ve freaked out over a sports game. [ ] I’ve been to Alaska. [ ] I’ve been to China. [ ] I’ve been to Japan. [x] I’ve had a fight with someone over AIM/ MSN/ Yahoo Messenger [x] I’ve had a fight with someone face to face [x] I’ve had serious conversations on any IM. [x] I’ve forgiven someone who has done something wrong to me. [x] I’ve been forgiven. [ ] I’ve screamed at a scary movie [x] I’ve cried at a chick flick [x] I’ve watched action movies. [x] I’ve screamed at the top of my lungs. [ ] I’ve been to a rap concert. [ ] I’ve been to a hip hop concert. [x] I’ve lived in more than 2 houses. [x] I’ve been to other states. [x] I’ve been homesick. [x] I’ve thrown up [ ] I’ve puked on someone. [ ] I’ve been horseback riding. [x] I’ve filled out more than 10 surveys. [x] I’ve spoken my mind in public. [x] I’ve proved someone wrong. [x] I’ve been proven wrong by someone. [ ] I’ve broken a leg/foot. [x] Broken an arm, wrist, hand, finger, or knuckle [ ] I’ve fallen off a swing. [x] I’ve swung on a swing for more than 30 minutes straight. [ ] I’ve watched Winnie the Pooh movies. [ ] I’ve forgotten my backpack when I’ve gone to school. [ ] I’ve lost my backpack. [ ] I’ve come close to dying. [x] Someone close to me has died. [x] I’ve known someone who has died. [ ] I’ve wanted to be an actor/actress at some point. [ ] I’ve done modeling or done a beauty pageant [x] I’ve taken something/someone for granted. [ ] I’ve realized how good my life is. [ ] I’ve counted my blessings. [x] I’ve made fun of a classmate. [x] I’ve been asked out by someone and I said no. [x] Ive asked someone on a date and been turned down. [ ] I’ve slapped someone in the face. [ ] I’ve been skateboarding. [x] I’ve been backstabbed by someone I thought was a friend. [x] I’ve lied to someone to their face.

[x] I’ve taken a day off from school just so I don’t go insane. [ ] I’ve fainted [x] I’ve had an argument with someone about whether cheerleading is a sport or not. [x] I’ve pushed someone into a pool. [x] I’ve been pushed into a pool

[searching-for-mercury]

Voltron - Klance - Fake BF

All I Want for Christmas is a (Fake) Boyfriend

Summary: A while ago, in a fit of anger, Keith told his mom he had a boyfriend. Did he actually have a boyfriend? No. Did he care? Also no. At least, not until his mom, months later, tells him to bring his supposed boyfriend over for the holidays. Not wanting to admit he didn't have one, Keith asks around for someone to play the role and who agrees to play the part? The annoying guy from his Lit class.

(AO3)

----

Chapter One

Two weeks into December should have been the time to breathe easy, where the only stress ought to have been in preparation for and during finals week. The flurry of books and exams, papers and projects, all crammed into the last week of the semester. Long hours of studying could finally turn into hours of caught up sleep, of eating full meals at a normal pace. Dishes piled haphazardly in the sink could be washed, laundry done, and, of course, packing up the car to drive home for the holidays.

              But that was exactly Keith's problem: the holidays. He'd promised his mom he would drive the several hours it took to get there and stay a couple days for Christmas. He'd done it before and he'd do it again, gladly, if it hadn't been for one little thing -- his mom told him to bring his boyfriend.

              He didn't have a boyfriend. 

              A couple years back, he'd come out to his parents as gay and his dad was far more supportive than Keith had ever dreamt. But his mom? His mom was...doubtful. He didn't understand it and his dad tried talking to him about it before, but the point remained: his mom didn't believe he was actually gay. Maybe it had something to do with how, after his parents divorced, Keith had gone to live with his dad and his mom felt left out. Maybe she just couldn't wrap her head around the idea, maybe she needed time. There were a gazillion possibilities and he only thought about them after he got mad.

              In a fit of fury, he'd told her he was going steady with a guy from school and things were great; his relationship, his life, everything! He'd wanted to rub it in her face that he was gay and doing just fine! Better than fine!

              Time had passed and he'd sort of forgot about his fake boyfriend until about an hour ago when his mom called. What was he going to do? He either needed to find a boyfriend or come clean to his mom and just feel the "I knew it" vibes that would surely radiate from her the entire time he was there.

              No, that wasn't an option. He had to think of something else.        

              So he pulled out his phone and typed out something, thought about it, erased some words and retyped a few, and then sent it to two people. As soon as he hit send, however, he felt regret surge up from the depths of his stomach. His thumping heart didn't help any, either.

              It was a stupid idea, but that only made sense because he was a stupid person. Stupid, stupid, stupid--

              His phone chirped at him. Someone had responded.

              Unfortunately, it was Allura with a solid, "No, sorry, I don't think I know anyone who could help! Maybe try Pidge?"

              But he was way ahead of her. He'd already texted Pidge and he was really hoping she had a better answer. She was probably at work, though, so Keith went around trying to keep busy.

              Lists were made, vacuuming was done, and he even got around to cleaning the inside of his shower. It was when he was in the middle of making dinner, staring at the tiles on the wall and wondering if he should get a haircut before or after his family visit, that the fateful chime of his phone sounded.

              "Yeah, I know a guy," she wrote.

              Keith hummed with impatience. Couldn't she have just figured he wanted more details?

              "Great, can I have his number?" he typed back. Honestly, was it that hard to do?

              "No."

              Apparently so.

              After a bunch of typing back and forth, Keith was left with a sort of empty, nervous feeling that started in his feet, for some reason, and a date. Well, not a date date, just an appointment kind of date. Ugh, even in his head it sounded stupid. A meeting time. There.

              He would meet with this mystery person the next day in the park by Best Buy. It was where Pidge worked. She'd always been really into technology and picking apart computers. When they were younger, they would go find unfinished homes to sneak onto, just so she could peer into the walls and see how the wiring was laid out. That and play space pirates. Their echoes in those empty homes had always made everything feel more dramatic, exciting. They'd stomp down wooden staircases, crawl through open cabinetry, and have epic duels out on the windy, dirt-filled backyards, under dark clouds and the setting sun.

              But the wiring always came first. She technically worked at the Geek Squad that was a part of the Best Buy, but it was only a temporary thing until she finished her degree. Keith could never quite remember what it was, but it sounded important. Then again, a master's degree in anything always sounded important. Maybe it was engineering -- but he could have sworn there were more words to it.

              Regardless, he showed up the next day at three in the afternoon, holding a coffee in one hand and his phone in the other, at the park she'd told him about. He was early. Pidge, however, was not, as she wrote in her text message.

              "Sorry, running late for work. Can you meet him alone?"

              Keith eyed the store from the wooden bench he'd just settled down on. If they sold binoculars there, they'd be some weird, hi-tech stuff. He narrowed his eyes just in case. If he didn't know Pidge any better, he'd have told himself it was a bit of a stretch, to think she'd set this all up only to spy on them from afar.

              He was halfway done writing, "How am I supposed to meet him when I don't know what he looks like," when someone stopped walking right in front of him.

              The guy was wearing real snazzy boat shoes and straight-cut jeans that were cuffed at the ankle. Keith looked up to find a striped shirt under a blazer-style jacket and then the face that put it all together. He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but it wasn't him.

              "Hey there, you're Keith, right?" the guy said. He had a smile whiter than the snow they were expecting later that week. It was a smile Keith had seen before, but never directed at him.

              "Uh, yeah," he replied.

              "We take a class together, don't we? Your face looks familiar."

              Keith nodded and gestured for him to sit down. "Modern Literature," he replied.

              He wasn't sure who he'd been expecting, but it sure wasn't the guy who held up his Lit class almost every single time during class discussions, talking about everything other than the actual topic. Keith wasn't much of a talker during those classes, he was more interested in his science classes, but this guy was the reason their class never got out on time. Five, ten minutes over their intended class period and the only thing on Keith's mind was murder. It had been his last class of the day -- he just wanted to go home.

              "You're the guy who doesn't like poetry!" the guy exclaimed.

              Keith was blanking on his name. Something with an L. Louis? Lars? La-- "You're Lance, right?" he asked, hoping that if any deity in the world existed, it would hear his prayers and tell him he was right.

              "Yup!" he said and gave another one of those smiles. He was always chatting up the girls in the class -- he even went so far as to compliment the teacher on her hair, though Keith was pretty sure that was only to get an extension on a paper. The point was, why was he there? Pidge had explained everything to him all proper, right?

              "Did Pidge, uh, explain things?" Keith asked. He could feel his face heat up, but he was really hoping it was one of those times that didn't show. "About what I was asking for?"

              "Oh, right, yeah dude, no worries," Lance said. "You're looking for a pretend boyfriend, right?"

              God, it felt so...pitiful, hearing it said out loud like that. He wasn't starved for a relationship or anything, he just had something to prove.

              "And you're fine with acting the part?" Keith asked. He hadn't even begun to start questioning if he, himself, was okay with acting the other part. With Lance.

              "Yeah, I mean, I figured we could talk about it some more," Lance replied with a shrug.

              It still didn't make any sense. Lance was okay with acting the part of a boyfriend for another boy. "Are you gay?" he blurted out. Well. That just happened.

              Lance's eyebrows went way up. They looked a little too neat to be natural. "Bisexual, actually," he said. "But no worries, you set the rules!"

              "Rules?" he said before it caught up to him. Oh. Oh. "Uh." He should have probably thought things out a little more. It sounded much worse than what he'd actually intended. "How about I explain the situation first?"

              Lance nodded and Keith relaxed into a retelling of everything that had happened to land him in such hot water. It made him feel better, though, explaining everything. Made him seem a little less creepy, maybe. Hopefully.

              In the end, Keith agreed to buy Lance Taco Bell every Wednesday of the next semester in return for everything playing a pretend boyfriend entailed. It felt a lot better than paying him with money (though he had offered), but not by much. He definitely wondered why Lance was so easy-going about the whole deal, but he felt it kind of rude to ask.

              Instead he went, "What about your own family? Don't they want you back for Christmas?"

              Lance just scratched at his chin and said, "Don't worry about it. I don't have any plans."

              Hm. It wasn't really an answer, but they weren't close enough to where Keith could just push on through with more persistent questioning. Why didn't he have plans? Was there family drama? Did he not celebrate Christmas?

              Not knowing what to say, Keith just nodded and fiddled with the plastic lid on his now-empty coffee cup. He kind of wished it were still at least a little bit of the way full -- he could always sip on it during the awkward pauses.

              "Can I get your number?" Lance asked. "I might have some questions before the big day. Or night. Or, well, all of that."

              Why was Keith's face getting all warm? There was absolutely no reason for his face to be heating up. It was December. The temperature was probably close to whatever zero meant. "Sure," he said and pulled out his phone. It was sleek silver thing that reacted a little too eager to his touch, encased in a striped red case.

              Lance's was blue with a crack in one of the corners.

              "Then I'll see you next week!" Lance said, bouncing off the bench. He laughed. "Taco Bell for a whole semester. Sweet."

              But before Keith could reply with, "It's really not that big of a deal," because Taco Bell was cheap and also garbage, Lance was striding away on those ridiculously long legs of his. There was a little wave involved, but Keith chose to nod instead.

              A whole week, huh? Yeah, an entire week to over-think things and regret all the decisions he'd ever made to land him in such a situation. Perfect.

 ~*~

                The picking up of Lance McClain, as it was so typed in his phone, was a relatively easy thing. In theory. So Keith didn't understand why he was parked in the parking lot of one of the school dorms, slouched in his seat, listening to Billy Joel's "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me." It was a good song and one of the few stations that would stay good during the whole four hours it would take to drive to his mom's house. It would change, naturally, but it just sort of fizzed out and then it was just solid rock music.

              But he didn't understand why he was sitting there, focusing on the lyrics, while Lance was doing whatever it was that was taking him so long to get downstairs and in his car. He'd texted him half an hour ago when he was leaving. He'd given him a whole week's notice.

              A small voice in his head was scratching at the possibility that Lance changed his mind and this was his way of canceling on him. But he chose to ignore that voice in favor of Billy Joel's more upbeat tone and wonder what 'white wall tires' could mean. He would have pulled out his phone to look it up, but he was afraid that if he did that, he'd also send Lance a stream of unpleasant, nagging texts.

              He really didn't want to be that person. He'd been that person in high school; he sure hoped he wasn't still.

              When Lance finally did stroll out of the double doors to the building -- and that's exactly what he did, stroll -- he was carrying two large duffel bags and a backpack. It was four hours away, not four weeks. And they were only staying for three days. Three.

              "Holy mother of god," Keith said. He was incredibly glad he was still alone in his car.

              After popping the trunk and grabbing the keys from the ignition (he'd locked himself out once and never again. Never. Again.), he hopped out to help rearrange some of his stuff to make room.

              "You read my text right...right?" Keith asked. "It's only three days."

              "Three days can mean a lot," Lance replied, swinging his first bag in. The second went in much more gently. His backpack he put in the backseat. "I like to be prepared."

              "For what, an invasion of zombies?" Keith muttered.

              Unfortunately, Lance heard. "Hey man, you never know. Doesn't have to be zombies. Could be aliens." He waggled his eyebrows.

              Keith only rolled his eyes and got back in his seat. Lance was still pulling on his seatbelt by the time he pulled out of the parking spot.

              "Is that what took you so long?" Keith ventured to ask. Hey, he hadn't sent the long stream of texts, but he wasn't about to just let it slide.

              "Yeah, I was making sure I grabbed everything," Lance replied. He was staring out the window at the passing buildings. "Like I said, gotta be prepared."

              "It's a house in the mountains," Keith replied. "Doesn't exactly scream dangerous."

              "Having never been there, I couldn't take my chances," Lance shot back.

              Keith sighed, deep and heavy. Whatever, they were in the car, on their way -- that's all that mattered.

              It grew quiet as Keith navigated their way through the town, but picked up again once they hit the highway.

              "Winter kind of bums me out," Lance said. "All the dead trees and frozen ground. I want summer! And the beach! Man, what I would give to go swimming just about now."               "Be my guest, there's a lake you can hike to near my mom's." It was probably frozen several inches thick, but why should that stop him?

              "You know what I mean." Keith didn't have to be looking at him -- he could hear the scowl in Lance's voice.

              "Hm, then you picked the wrong state to be in," Keith replied. "We, my friend, are land-locked."

              "You can still go swimming, though," Lance pointed out. "And there's actually a lot more to do here than by a beach. But still, can't deny the wonderful feeling of stretching out and soaking up the sun."

              Keith couldn't relate. He had skin that burned and blistered if he dared go out without sunscreen. He always had to carry around the smelly stuff, just in case it wore off. Higher elevations meant being closer to the flaming orb in the sky that turned his skin to a peeling, burning mess.

              "Anyways, I've got a question," Lance said. "What are we going to tell your mom when we get there?"

              Keith switched lanes -- there was a left lane for a reason, people. "What do you mean?"

              "You know, if she asks us how we met," Lance said. "Just a basic story."

              It was a question Keith had been thinking about the entire week. He just wasn't good with story-making. Meeting in a bar sounded kind of seedy, but would his mom believe something too picturesque?

              "How about our friends hooked us up?" Keith offered. It was pretty much the truth.

              "That's so boring!" Lance said, sitting up a little straighter. "Couldn't I have picked you up somewhere? Like, where do you work?"

              "A Call Center."

              "Oh. Never mind. I thought if you worked in a restaurant, I could have been enamored or something and just routinely had dinner every time you had a shift," Lance said.

              "Kind of stalker-y," Keith pointed out.

              "Not if you found it endearing!"

              "But I don't."

              "You could pretend. That's the whole point of this operation," Lance said, huffing. He slid down in his seat.

              Keith rolled his eyes. He didn't understand what was so important about what should be a simple story. But Lance was doing him a huge favor, even if badly made fake Mexican food was part of the payment plan. "We...met at school," Keith said. "Freshmen orientation. But we didn't start dating right away, we just started out as friends."

              He could feel Lance's eyes on him, but he remained focused on the road. Cars were slowing down, so either a cop was up front or they were hitting some traffic. He glanced down at the speedometer; it was legal.

              "Not bad," Lance finally said. "Can I still be the one who asked you out?"

              That time, Keith looked over. "Uh, sure?" he said.

              Another glance at Lance -- he looked a little pleased, a small smile curled up on his face. It reminded Keith of a cat an old neighbor had owned; was a tawny brown, fluffy thing with big gold eyes and dark paws. He'd seen it in the window every time he left to go catch the bus for school.

              Traffic picked up again and the radio started switching about an hour into their ride. Dark trees rolled by, though not very tall or thick. The road narrowed into two lanes, each in different directions. The curves around the mountainsides always used to make his dad nervous and they always knew when it got bad because their car would slow to a crawl.

              "I've got another question," Lance said all of a sudden. He reached out to lower the volume.

              "Shoot."

              But Lance fidgeted with his fingers a bit before responding. "How far exactly do we go to prove we're in a relationship?" he asked. "Like, what's appropriate? Do we hug? Kiss?"

              "Uh," Keith said. He kind of wished they'd discussed it earlier, when he wasn't driving past great big cliffs and around tight turns. "I'm down for whatever you are. I guess."

              "Cool," Lance replied. "By the way, can we stop by somewhere eventually? I could kill for a coffee or some water."

              Somewhere. Right.

              "You couldn't have asked when we were driving past all those gas stations?" Keith asked.

              "I wasn't thirsty then."

              "I swear to god," Keith grumbled.

              "Hey man, I didn't say right now. I just said it for when you, you know, see a good spot," Lance said. "Eventually."

              Was he going to strangle him? Probably not. But throwing him off the mountain did seem rather tempting. If they weren't stuck behind a minivan that had absolutely no business being there, he might have actually done it.

              Instead, he turned the music up again and continued driving to safer, less precipitous places. If he'd been driving with an actual boyfriend, maybe he wouldn't be having such a hollow, sour feeling in his stomach. Maybe he wouldn't be kicking his own ass for not making up an excuse to not go. A lot of maybes roamed around in his head, but nothing to make them settle, no tiny, wriggling bit of hope for a good time.

              "There!"

              Keith nearly flew out of his seat. "Jesus," he hissed.

              "There's a stop coming up!" Lance said, pointing out his window at a sign that passed by.

              "Any reason to shout it?" Keith asked. Luckily, he'd stayed in his lane. There was only a semi-truck in the other one. His heart was pounding and he'd definitely jerked the wheel. "Have you never ridden in a car before? Don't scare the driver. He is responsible for your safety."

              "Sorry," Lance said, but Keith didn't believe an ounce of it. "But there's a gas station coming up with a McDonalds and I think a Subway."

              "You hungry?" Keith asked.

              "A little, but you said we'd be eating dinner at your mom's," Lance replied. "But I'm thirsty and these legs of mine could use some stretching."

              Keith tried not to look at those legs of his.

              As he was turning into the area where the buildings sat, all nestled together, he asked, "So what'll it be?"

              "Hm, well," Lance said. "Let's try out the gas station first and if their drinks are expensive, we'll go through the drive-thru at McDonalds. Nothing beats that dollar menu."

              Keith wanted to ask, then why bother with the gas station at all? He breathed in, breathed out. Whatever, Lance had his reasons. Keith didn't need to understand or ask about them.

              He pulled the car into the parking lot, shifted into park, and went to unbuckle. Only he didn't get that far because suddenly Lance grabbed his face and kissed him. Not fully on the mouth, but enough.

              "What the hell?!" Keith sputtered, pulling back. His face was on fire. His face was on fire and he didn't care, but he did, and he couldn't help it, but he wished he could.

              "Yup, thought so," Lance replied.

              For once, Keith couldn't form a response fast enough.

              "We should practice kissing so that doesn't happen in front of your mom," Lance said.

              "Okay, first off -- you should have just said that before you went all, all... And secondly, I probably wouldn't react that way if you'd warned me about it," Keith said. Both points were basically the same thing, but his brain was still a little fried. "Who just goes around kissing people like that?"

              Lance scratched at his chin, looking a little sheepish. His shoulders tucked in a bit, like he wanted to make himself smaller. "Sorry," he said. It was a believable apology, that time. Hit all the right kinds of apologetic tones.

              Keith only nodded, frowning out the windshield at the brown bricks that made up the gas station. He kind of wished real life had a little angel and devil to talk to on each shoulder. Maybe not the devil, he did plenty of things he regretted enough on his own, but the angel might've helped. At the very least, it could have told him if it was bad to feel kind of excited about kissing the boy sitting in his car. At the thought of more kissing.

              Then again, most Bible-pushers said being gay was a sin, so maybe the angel would just berate him for that.

              "Keith?"

              He jerked back into their world. "Right," he said. "Practice. Um. Sure, but it'll probably be weird."

              And it was weird. But also nice. It was a lot nicer when Lance actually kissed him full on the mouth, all soft and careful. And then he was gone again.

              "Could you open your mouth a little?" Lance asked.

              Keith's head was either still stuck a few seconds in the past or Lance hadn't waited for a response. The second kiss was even weirder, what with Lance's tongue sort of swiping past Keith's lips, but not full on pushing through like he'd seen in movies. He was kind of glad for that. French kissing always looked so uncomfortable.

              "Not bad," Lance said the next time he pulled away. A half smile sort of snuck up on his face, and only later would Keith realize it was a sort of teasing expression. "You're a little stiff, but I don't think we'll have a problem convincing your mom we're in love." He ended with the last word in a sugar-coated, sing-song tone and a waggle of his eyebrows.

              Once they'd stretched out a bit, stocked up on drinks and snacks, they were back on the road. Keith's mind, which had been left behind, came racing back when they got stuck behind an SUV with a trailer hitched to the back of it. He slowed down a bit, checked the lines and the other lane, switched, and then drove his foot into the gas pedal.

              "Holy Tostitos, Batman," Lance hissed, holding onto the handle above the door.

              Keith ignored him in favor of getting back in their lane, before the truck heading their way made it to the same spot they were.

              "Could you slow down? Maybe?"

              "Why?"

              "Because I want to live? I've been wondering, do you always drive this fast?" Lance asked. He hadn't loosened his grip on the handle.

              "It's not that fast."

              "Dude, you are going like, ten or twenty over the speed limit, I am sure of it," Lance insisted.

              The rolling of his eyes did not go unnoticed.

              "Don't be blaming me if you get pulled over by a cop. Or we hit a patch of ice and go spiraling off road, only to hit a tree and die. Won't be my fault when you get blisters on your ass for landing yourself in hell because you killed lil' ol' me and--"

              "Oh my god, shut up!" Keith shouted and added pressure to the brake pedal. "We aren't going to die! My driving skills are great -- better than great! Haven't had an accident in my entire driving career."

              "Don't go jinxing yourself now."

              "I am going to throw you out the car."

              "Going 90 miles an hour?"

              "Yes," Keith said and traded a grin with his obnoxious fake boyfriend.

----

Hope you liked it!! <3 <3